5 Items to Downsize as You Pack for Your Move

Going through your home to thin out your belongings is best to do before you pack. But you don’t always have the time.

If you’re in a hurry, downsizing while packing can still be effective. Here are five things to consider eliminating during the household move packing process.

1. Food Storage

With few exceptions, you should plan to eat or get rid of your food before moving. It can take up a lot of space. It’s also time-consuming to pack.

Most of the time, professional movers won’t transport food. They can’t necessarily guarantee a perfect temperature all the time, which can affect shelf-stable items. It’s easiest to assume you can go shopping after you arrive.

Consider donating non-perishable items to charities like Move for Hunger. This organization works with professional moving companies to collect donations from relocating families and deliver them to local food banks and pantries, free of charge.

2. Outdated or Uncomfortable Clothing

If you’re not sure which clothing items you should keep, you should know that there are several ways to downsize your wardrobe. For example, you could turn your hangers backward and then turn them around as you wear each item. After a few weeks, the clothing on the still backward hangers may need extra evaluation.

You might also try putting clothing in a suitcase and see how quickly you take each item out. Then, the clothes that are still in your suitcase when you are ready to move could probably go.

3. Bulky Household Goods

When you start evaluating household goods and decor, it’s wise is to keep in mind that space matters. Bulky, lightweight items tend to be easy to pack, but they take up the same amount of space in the truck.

If you can, plan to use up most of your household goods before moving. For example, you may have scored a good deal on toilet paper, but it will cost you more than that to take dozens of rolls with you. And if you are moving to a place where your bulky outdoor gear won’t get as much use, sell or donate it now.

4. Old Media

Most people have large bookcases or media centers full of DVDs and books they no longer use. These items can be pretty easy to pack, but they’re heavy. So if you’re planning to downsize your living space, thinning them out is probably a necessity.

If you can, consider making a small investment into digitizing your CDs and movies. Of course, you don’t have to get rid of your classic vinyl or treasured childhood book collection. But updating from DVD to streaming might make it easier for you to enjoy what you have.

5. Boxes of Junk

When you do a cursory look through your house for easy wins on the packing front, you might find boxes of junk from your old house. Naturally, it’s tempting to move them to the next home, but that’s not the only choice.

If you haven’t opened the box in more than a year, there’s a good chance that you will never need anything that’s inside. So take care with important documents or financial information. But for boxes of half-used office supplies or old junk mail, you might be able to toss it and move on.

Moving Made More Manageable

Getting through the packing process means looking for quick ways to downsize. Contact us today for more tips on what you’ll need to have a successful move.